New England Patriots Mock Draft & Team Needs

The New England Patriots enter the 2025 NFL Draft looking to rebuild after back-to-back 4-13 seasons and a dramatic shift from their dynastic past. With quarterback Drake Maye in place, their focus turns to protecting him and adding playmakers to jumpstart a stagnant offense.

New England Patriots

After a remarkable 18-year run by the Patriots, with Bill Belichick as head coach and Tom Brady behind center, New England comes off two 4-13 seasons. They hope that they found their franchise quarterback last year. Their next step is keeping him upright and adding receiving talent.

Starting Offense:

QB Drake Maye

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

WR Stefon Diggs

WR DeMario Douglas

TE Hunter Henry

Their offensive line allowed 52 sacks in 2024, leading to only 6.3 yards per pass attempt and the second-lowest output in passing touchdowns (18). New Patriots must get their offense in order before trying to solve their defensive issues.

New England Patriots 2025 NFL Draft Picks

Round 1: 4th

Round 2: 38th

Round 3: 69th, 77th

Round 4: 106th

Round 5: 144th, 171st

Round 7: 220th, 238th

The goal for New England should be drafting Travis Hunter to solve two possible weaknesses – pass coverage and explosiveness at wide receiver. Unfortunately, they may need him to slide one pick in the draft and avoid another team moving up to snipe him. Their pivot will be left tackle Will Campbell.

Depending on their first roster addition, the Patriots should focus on the opposite player in the second round: Hunter, then left tackle, or Campbell, followed by a wide receiver. Based on this, their second-round target for their offensive line should be Josh Conerly, but he may need to slide a few picks for New England to secure him. If they miss on him, the Patriots may have to move up Aireontae Ersery on their draft board.

The decision at wide receiver may come down to a player with size (Jayden Higgins) or a playmaker (Isaiah Bond) with plus speed and potential impact upside.

Jayden Higgins is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.63 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 142 out of 3815 WR from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/TSkxUAzQO4 pic.twitter.com/QVZAqzez9r
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 12, 2025

Just like the fantasy market, NFL teams have to make tradeoffs between groups of players, but their draft flow is much more complicated, with no ADPs to caddy them to better decision-making. At the same time, their game plan could get blown up by a draft day trade, forcing them to rethink their game plan on the fly.

Which combo is better?

Travis Hunter/Josh Conerly

Will Campbell/Jayden Higgins or Isaiah Bond

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots’ draft plays out over the first two rounds.